Rating: 
Summary: A lacking novel with good insight and imagination
Review: "This Immortal" is a quick read that compresses a lot of mysticism, insight and action into a very small amount of pages. Zelazny is a true creator of magical worlds, and people. Unfortunetly I felt that most of the characters with the exception of Conrad and Myshtigo, where underdeveloped to the point of being cardboard cut-outs. Events happen so quickly, and conveniently that it's hard to really get involved. The concept is great, the greek mythology cited is very interesting even if you don't know what they are talking about. Where the book fails is in the execution. The speed of the book reminds me of Alfred Bester's "The Stars my Destination" and Kurt Vonnegut's "Cat's Cradle" in that the characters keep jumping from location to location, sometimes leaving the reader in the dust. Overall "This Immortal" isn't bad, not by a long shot, it's just dissapointing. I think what Zelazny brought to the table was an epic, insightful, character driven story, told too quickly, and with hardly any true character. Still a recommended read. Winner of the 1966 Hugo Award with Dune (1965).
Rating 3.5/5
Rating:
Summary: Good Book, But Dated
Review: As one reviewer here said, this book hasn't weathered the decades well since it first came out. However, I still think it's a good book. The sheer imagination that's apparent here overrides most of the problems with coincidental happenings and with undeveloped characters and events. I loved this book in my youth, and I still like it today. It's worth reading.
Rating:
Summary: Good Book, But Dated
Review: As one reviewer here said, this book hasn't weathered the decades well since it first came out. However, I still think it's a good book. The sheer imagination that's apparent here overrides most of the problems with coincidental happenings and with undeveloped characters and events. I loved this book in my youth, and I still like it today. It's worth reading.
Rating: 
Summary: This is directly off the back cover of the book.
Review: CALL ME CONRAD..THIS TIME AROUND.Rumors abound, but the records that should tell the truth about the man called Conrad Nimikos are mysteriously incomplete. Some say that he once had a different name--that he is the hero who fought the Vegan empire to a standoff. Some even whisper that he has had other names, through time out of mind. But for the moment he is Canrad Nimikos, Commissioner of the Earthoffice Department of Arts, Monuments, and Archives, and incidentally the one man who may have a chance to spare the now-helpless Earth a return engagement with the Vegans...
Rating:
Summary: My first Zelazny novel
Review: Frankly, I cannot remember much about this book. I read it more than a decade ago. It was my first Zelazny book. It made me go on to read more or less the entire Zelazny collection. So, I reckon that "This Immortal" had to be a superb novel.
Rating: 
Summary: The book that tied "Dune" for the Hugo.
Review: had built up a lot of anticipation in wanting to read the book that tied "Dune" for the 1966 Hugo Award. Not only did I want to see what book could have stood up against such a masterpiece, but since it was out of print for so long, I had to wait years to finally read it. The book title had been renamed, which also didn't help me in the process of tracking down a copy. The original title was"...and call me Conrad". Anywise, although I still like "Dune" better, this book was a good read. The Earth has been destroyed in a nuclear war. Several parts are uninhabitable, and most humans have left the planet to go live on distant moons such as Titan. What's left of the Earth has been turned into a great big Museum. Aliens exist on another world, and use the Earth as a tourist site. (They are blue and are called "Vegans" which was very confusing at first since I kept thinking they were referring to a person who doesn't eat meat or meat products.) Conrad Nomikos is the curator of the Earth Museum. He also used to be known as Konstantin Karaghiosis Korones Nomikos who supposedly was a demigod in Greek Mythology. (I really wish I knew more Greek Mythology before reading this book since there are several references to it which might have had more meaning to me if I was more familiar with the history.) Supposedly he has just been living for centuries but nobody noticed this until now, since he kept changing his name. The nuclear fall out has caused mutations and brought many of the legends to life. There are now centaurs, and sea serpents, and even a vampire roaming about the Earth. And then there are other things such as Conrad's "hell hound" named Bortan which supposedly had just been around for centuries also without anyone taking notice until now. Myshtigo is an alien who hires Conrad to take him on a tour of the Earth, supposedly so that he can write a book. Several Earth groups which favor "Returnism" and want all Humans to return to Earth, want Myshtigo killed since they believe he is just conducting a survey of the Earth to buy it and make vacation resorts out of the whole thing. One of these groups is called the "Radpol". Conrad used to be the founder of this group, and he needs to decide whether to allow these people to kill the alien, or whether based on a hunch, that he should protect him instead. The future of the Earth may depend on his decision. Due to his telepathic powers (yes, he has some of these to), he already knows that the Alien isn't really writing a book, but his telepathic powers don't work well enough to tell him everything, so there is still a mystery to solve.
There is a lot of comparisons between the Earth on a larger scale and Greece, Rome, Egypt (you might even be able through France into this mix, but they are not mentioned). These cities in our life time seem to have died. These were once great and powerful nations who ruled the Earth. Now tourists come to their land and expect them to act as second class citizens and servants who act as tour guides. It seems that if they had a choice, that most who live in these nations would rather tear down all these old monuments which symbolize death to them and use the material to build a new and active living city, and be great once more. It seems the only way they can become great again is to let go of the past. Zelazny does this on a major scale by turning the Earth into a giant museum, then starting to tear down the major monument that remain in it. This was a very powerful message it seemed for a while in this book, but then Zelazny chickens out in the end by not following through on it completely and compromises some of his ideas in the end. He loses points with me here, but at least he gave me a new perspective on the subject. P.S. just a side note for Tolkien fans. There is also a cyborg fighting mechanism in this book named "golem".
Rating:
Summary: The book that tied "Dune" for the Hugo.
Review: had built up a lot of anticipation in wanting to read the book that tied "Dune" for the 1966 Hugo Award. Not only did I want to see what book could have stood up against such a masterpiece, but since it was out of print for so long, I had to wait years to finally read it. The book title had been renamed, which also didn't help me in the process of tracking down a copy. The original title was"...and call me Conrad". Anywise, although I still like "Dune" better, this book was a good read. The Earth has been destroyed in a nuclear war. Several parts are uninhabitable, and most humans have left the planet to go live on distant moons such as Titan. What's left of the Earth has been turned into a great big Museum. Aliens exist on another world, and use the Earth as a tourist site. (They are blue and are called "Vegans" which was very confusing at first since I kept thinking they were referring to a person who doesn't eat meat or meat products.) Conrad Nomikos is the curator of the Earth Museum. He also used to be known as Konstantin Karaghiosis Korones Nomikos who supposedly was a demigod in Greek Mythology. (I really wish I knew more Greek Mythology before reading this book since there are several references to it which might have had more meaning to me if I was more familiar with the history.) Supposedly he has just been living for centuries but nobody noticed this until now, since he kept changing his name. The nuclear fall out has caused mutations and brought many of the legends to life. There are now centaurs, and sea serpents, and even a vampire roaming about the Earth. And then there are other things such as Conrad's "hell hound" named Bortan which supposedly had just been around for centuries also without anyone taking notice until now. Myshtigo is an alien who hires Conrad to take him on a tour of the Earth, supposedly so that he can write a book. Several Earth groups which favor "Returnism" and want all Humans to return to Earth, want Myshtigo killed since they believe he is just conducting a survey of the Earth to buy it and make vacation resorts out of the whole thing. One of these groups is called the "Radpol". Conrad used to be the founder of this group, and he needs to decide whether to allow these people to kill the alien, or whether based on a hunch, that he should protect him instead. The future of the Earth may depend on his decision. Due to his telepathic powers (yes, he has some of these to), he already knows that the Alien isn't really writing a book, but his telepathic powers don't work well enough to tell him everything, so there is still a mystery to solve.
There is a lot of comparisons between the Earth on a larger scale and Greece, Rome, Egypt (you might even be able through France into this mix, but they are not mentioned). These cities in our life time seem to have died. These were once great and powerful nations who ruled the Earth. Now tourists come to their land and expect them to act as second class citizens and servants who act as tour guides. It seems that if they had a choice, that most who live in these nations would rather tear down all these old monuments which symbolize death to them and use the material to build a new and active living city, and be great once more. It seems the only way they can become great again is to let go of the past. Zelazny does this on a major scale by turning the Earth into a giant museum, then starting to tear down the major monument that remain in it. This was a very powerful message it seemed for a while in this book, but then Zelazny chickens out in the end by not following through on it completely and compromises some of his ideas in the end. He loses points with me here, but at least he gave me a new perspective on the subject. P.S. just a side note for Tolkien fans. There is also a cyborg fighting mechanism in this book named "golem".
Rating: 
Summary: Stay away!
Review: How the hell did this tie with Dune for the best novel of 1966. If you want to read Zelazny read Lord of Light or the Amber series.
Rating:
Summary: Prometheus Unbound with a Vegan twist
Review: Humans have reason to hate themselves even more than they hate the Vegans. The Vegans are basically tourists, lingering among the ruins of the last non-radioactive territories on Earth. The historical Three Days of War occurred between human and human, or rather between dirty bomb and dirty bomb. The back cover of "This Immortal" ironically states "Welcome to Earth (Pop. 60,000)." (Later in the text, we learn that Earth's population is more like four million).
"This Immortal" (1966) was Zelazny's first SF novel, and it shared the Hugo Award for Best Science Fiction Novel of the Year with Frank Herbert's "Dune," so it is no lightweight post-Apocalypse adventure story. In fact, I think the best way to understand "This Immortal" is to read Lawrence Durrell's semi-autobiographical novels on the Greek Isles: most especially "Prospero's Cell" and "Reflections on a Marine Venus"---or better yet, read Percy Shelley's "Prometheus Unbound," which is referred to more than once in this novel.
Like Shelley's Prometheus, Zelazny's hero, Conrad Nimikos is mankind's potential savior. Like Prometheus, he suffers and almost self-destructs in trying to save his chosen people (the humans who remained on Earth). Instead of stealing fire from the gods, he sets out to steal back Earth from the Vegans.
At an earlier stage in his career (nobody knows quite how old he might be), Nimikos was a terrorist. Now he has lost some of his destructive impulse (his hubris), and sets out to protect the Vegan, Cort Myshtigo in order to discover the alien's true purpose in touring Earth's remaining monuments.
The real mystery of "This Immortal" is not so much the Vegan's intentions toward Earth as it is the true identity of Conrad Nomikos. His mistress, Cassandra playfully refers to him as a 'kallikanzaros' (this is where I had to refer to my Durrell), which is a Greek term for a little cloven-hooved satyr, who causes mischief of every kind. Conrad is a huge man, superhumanly strong, but he is also incredibly ugly and walks with a limp.
Did he at one time have a cloven hoof?
Like the kallikanzaros, Conrad is a trickster, and deceives Vegans and humans alike into thinking his previous incarnation, the terrorist leader 'Karaghiosis,' has died in a boating accident.
Once more turning to Durrell, we learn that 'Karaghiosis' is a stock character in Greek drama--in fact, "the embodiment of Greek character...based on the idea of the impoverished and downtrodden little man getting the better of the world around him by sheer cunning. Add to this the salt of a self-deprecating humour and you have the immortal Greek."
So Nomikos-Karaghiosis-Prometheus is the embodiment of 'the immortal Greek,' who might or might not be---according to a hint at novel's end, plus references to the kallikanzaros---the Great God, Pan.
Conrad himself refers to "Prometheus Unbound" as "Percy B's dud epic," but then, all of Zelazny's heroes tend to be self-deprecating.
Zelazny has succeeded in capturing the spirit of a people and place in "This Immortal." I think his Hugo was well-deserved.
Rating:
Summary: The immortal Greek
Review: Humans have reason to hate themselves even more than they hate the Vegans. The Vegans are basically tourists, lingering among the ruins of the last non-radioactive territories on Earth. The historical Three Days of War occurred between human and human, or rather between dirty bomb and dirty bomb. The back cover of "This Immortal" ironically states "Welcome to Earth (Pop. 60,000)." (Later in the text, we learn that Earth's population is more like four million). "This Immortal" (1966) was Zelazny's first SF novel, and it shared the Hugo Award for Best Science Fiction Novel of the Year with Frank Herbert's "Dune," so it is no lightweight post-Apocalypse adventure story. In fact, I think the best way to understand "This Immortal" is to read Lawrence Durrell's chronicles of the Greek Isles, most especially "Prospero's Cell" and "Reflections on a Marine Venus"---or better yet, read Percy Shelley's "Prometheus Unbound," which is referred to more than once in this novel. Like Shelley's Prometheus, Zelazny's hero, Conrad Nimikos is mankind's potential savior. Like Prometheus, he suffers and almost self-destructs in trying to save his chosen people (the humans who remained on Earth). Instead of stealing fire from the gods, he sets out to steal back Earth from the Vegans.
At an earlier stage in his career (nobody knows quite how old he might be), Nimikos was a terrorist. Now he has lost some of his destructive impulse (his hubris), and sets out to protect the Vegan, Cort Myshtigo in order to discover the alien's true purpose in touring Earth's remaining monuments. The real mystery of "This Immortal" is not so much the Vegans' intentions toward Earth as it is the true identity of Conrad Nomikos. His mistress, Cassandra playfully refers to him as a 'kallikanzaros' (this is where I had to refer to my Durrell), which a Greek term for a little cloven-hooved satyr, who causes mischief of every kind. Conrad is a huge man, superhumanly strong, but he is also incredibly ugly and walks with a limp. Did he at one time have a cloven hoof? Like the kallikanzaros, Conrad is a trickster, and deceives Vegans and humans alike into thinking his previous incarnation, the terrorist leader 'Karaghiosis,' has died in a boating accident.
Once more turning to Durrell, we learn that 'Karaghiosis' is a stock character in Greek drama--in fact, "the embodiment of Greek character...based on the idea of the impoverished and downtrodden little man getting the better of the world around him by sheer cunning. Add to this the salt of a self-deprecating humour and you have the immortal Greek." So Nomikos-Karaghiosis-Prometheus is the embodiment of 'the immortal Greek,' who might or might not be--according to a hint at novel's end, plus references to the kallikanzaros--the Great God, Pan. Conrad himself refers to "Prometheus Unbound" as "Percy B's dud epic," but then, all of Zelazny's heroes tend to be self-deprecating. Zelazny has succeeded in capturing the spirit of a people and place in "This Immortal." I think his Hugo was well-deserved.
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